40. Just here for the freebies
If a little of what you fancy does you good, just think how you’ll feel when you get the whole package! Small free samples can lead to big sales.
Nothing is really free in this world – you should always get a return. If it’s not cash, make sure its information – or a pair of pants, if that’s your thing.
As You Requested
Fundamentally, the internet allows us to interact. Although most of the interaction is limited to reading words or looking at images on a web page, sometimes that just isn’t enough. If you are selling products, then as well as providing the manufacturer’s specification, you should try to replicate the user’s experience in a physical store. This is easier for some products than for others. As a rule of thumb, if any of the aspects of physical world shopping can be shown through the web site, then you should try to include this representation online.
Quite commonly it’s a shrewd manoeuvre by internet sites to offer large printed material downloads for free on a web site. A great example is a user guide or any form of instructions. By offering a download you can shave hundreds, if not thousands, off admin costs by not having to pay staff or pay for raw materials such as paper and ink – let your users print out your material at their cost. Don’t forget to ensure that the download or printable page is correctly formatted and ‘printer friendly’, otherwise your users will quickly get annoyed with wasting paper.
Play It Again
Obviously with recorded music or audio files there is a whole Pandora’s box of copyright issues to be considered – and I’d strongly advise the employment of a copyright lawyer if you’re even considering offering music downloads. But in principle, assuming you have obtained the copyright holder’s permission, offering a teaser of what is contained on a CD is a great tool to use in selling an audio product. It can just be the first fifteen seconds of a few tracks, but that’s all it takes. Suddenly the consumer knows exactly what she is getting for her money and you are protecting your revenue by not giving away too much.
Now I’m Hooked
Books or large documents of text (such as college exams or student’s papers) also come with the same considerations regarding copyright, but again, in principle and with the right agreements in place, it should be possible to offer users a taster of what is contained within. At worst, a good bookstore should at least include the back cover blurb (or in the case of documents, the contents and maybe introduction) so that you are successfully replicating what the user would have had access to if she had the physical product in front of her in a store. Leave consumers with the need to read more and give them extra confidence that what they are looking at is indeed what they want. Providing too little information is mis-selling and only leads to more returns, so the revenue from those extra sales is soon lost.
People Like You
In a bid to offer more of a community spirit some web sites have begun to use the data they hold on consumers and their buying habits as a feature on the site. Obviously you must always protect your consumers’ actual identities, but you can show the most popular purchases based on what users from a certain country, or city, have bought. We all like to feel part of a group, and showing this somewhat innocuous information (which you already know; you just need to mine the data to find it) publicly can improve and influence sales in the most interesting of ways.
Private Investigator
If information is your revenue, then it simply cannot be given away free of charge. But the same principles apply. Users and potential users need to know they are at the right place, and if there is a fee attached to accessing data (whether it’s a paid-for download, streaming video/audio or plain text) they need to know that the information contained will be what they are looking for and worth the fee being asked. So show ‘em. A small selection of information or examples work wonders – not enough to satisfy them, but enough to be able to make an informed decision. Once they’ve paid, issue the member/user with a unique customer login and ensure that the account is password protected.
How did it go?
Q. Marketing feels that offering a downloadable questionnaire is a little bit confusing. We’re a web site-based company and want to be offering things like this online, not on paper. Won’t this tactic dilute our offering?
A. That’s a good point, be sure to have an online survey (try www.surveymonkey.com) as well.
Q. Is there a way to remind users completing the questionnaire that we are a web-based company?
A. You can always tie-in the web site by printing a special web page address on the form, which would allow users who have completed the form, and sent it back, to enjoy a special offer or promotion.
Here is an idea for you…
While you are looking into the copyright issues with manufacturers regarding downloads, to see just how effective and popular offering a download can be, create a document that you would like added to your site – this could be your company mission, your customer service charter, a list or diary of events, questionnaire or special promotional offer, whatever. Better yet create a PDF e-Book with a button to ‘download your free book now’. You’ll be surprised how many users download free e-Books and it is an easy way to show off your knowledge of your area. Plus you can tell your mum you’re an author.
Defining idea…
‘When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other.’
Eric Hoffer
Defining idea…
‘Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else’s life forever.’
Margaret Cho
Defining idea…
‘To know when to be generous and when to be firm – this is wisdom.’
Elbert Hubbard